Larochep Posted January 13, 2003 Share Posted January 13, 2003 Hello, We are currently starting a jazz vocal group. We have the following members: - 17 singers (4 bass, 3 tenor, 5 alto, 5 soprano). Most of the time we have 16 of them that sing as a choir, the last one sings a solo. - 1 drummer (using a real drum kit). - 1 keyboardist (not using a real piano, but an numeric keyboard). - 1 bassist. - 1 guitarist. Now comes the question about miking all those people. We want our setup to be as light as possible. We have the following questions: - is it possible to mike the drum kit with one stereo pair only or do we need to mike each drum? - up to now in an a-cappella group, we have miked the singers: - either with a single stereo pair (static mikes) for the choir plus one dynamic mike for the solo. - or one static mike per group in the SATB splitting + one dynamic mike for the solo. Do you think the same can be done with accompanying instruments? I think miking each singer will result in a mixing nightmare. - ... In short, what approach would you recommend? Do you know of any good book that describe the miking techniques? Of course, we are trying to find a sound engineer or whatever person that can help us, but we want to have an idea of how the job can be done in a simple way before, to avoid to have one mike per singer and per drum if it is overkill. Thank you in advance for any recommendation/help/advice. Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rog Posted January 13, 2003 Share Posted January 13, 2003 Much of what you're asking will be determined by the room you're going to use. Do you have any idea where you'll be recording? How big is the room? What does it sound like? "That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." - Banky Edwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larochep Posted January 13, 2003 Author Share Posted January 13, 2003 Hi, The goal is not to record but to gig in rooms (or should I say tiny concert halls?) with an audience ranging from 100 to 500 people approximately. But unfortunately, we have no idea of how these rooms do sound. The only thing we can be sure is that no room will sound like the other! Oh, one thing: we will not be performing in churches, so I suspect there will not be too much natural reverb. If we are in a situation of more than 500 people, I think we will have to delegate the sound handling to professionals. But you are right that recording is also something that we will want to do in the future, but it is not our focus for the moment. Thanks, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted January 13, 2003 Share Posted January 13, 2003 You've answered your own question. Either of the two setups (1 static, stereo pair + 1 dynamic for solos or 1 static mic per group + dynamic for solos) will work. I'd prefer the latter, as an engineer. It strikes a balance between more control at the mixer without ruining the natural balance struck by the group. As for drums, it depends what kind of sound you want. I'd opt for a kick and either one or two overheads. I've used this setup for rock, jazz, country, and even bluegrass bands with a drummer. (Perish the thought!) It provides good sound quality without overemphasizing the role of the drums in the overall sound. You also seem to have a very keen idea when to enlist the services of a sound company. :thu: Good Luck! It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Like Neil said...you have answered your own question. :cool: Haven Music Productions Tampa, FL www DOT havenmp DOT com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 As a drummer, bassist, and choral singer for years, I'd say the one solo mic for the soloist and the stereo pairs for the group should be sufficient. If they're any kind of an ensemble, they'll "mix" themselves. (You rockers who are so concerned about how to mix things on the board should join a choir or orchestra and learn how to do it in real time with your body and no PA whatsoever. It will be very instructive.) If the singers don't jump out for a lot of different solos, but rather the choir accompanies one soloist in each song, there's no need to mic everyone. You may want to consider miking each section separately, though. On the other hand - MONITORS, MONITORS, MONITORS!!! Make certain these people can hear themselves. If you can make an ear-monitor system work for so many people, that would be preferable, but give the singers plenty of monitor however you do it. For the band, these days it's possible for everyone, including the guitarist, to go direct and sound great. I don't know that I'd mike the drummer at all, unless you're playing a rather large hall or club. If you do, mike the kick and put up two overheads, or perhaps even one stereo mic to save on gear-lugging. It's not actually the mics that are hard to lug around, but the stands. You probably already knew that, though. "I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it." Les Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larochep Posted January 15, 2003 Author Share Posted January 15, 2003 Thank you all for your replies. It is highly valuable for me. Now I know that having a light setup is possible. Thanks again, Pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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